Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Budapest and Kislovodsk

For one person, living is cheaper in Kislovodsk: $1,017 a month against $1,641 in Budapest, rent and utilities included – about $7,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Budapest
🇭🇺 Hungary
$1,641
/mo nomad
Kislovodsk
🇷🇺 Russia
$1,017
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Budapest and in Kislovodsk

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Budapest and in Kislovodsk actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,641 per month in Budapest vs $1,017 in Kislovodsk, rent included.

  • Budapest $1,641
  • Kislovodsk $1,017

A couple spends around $2,562 per month in Budapest vs $1,644 in Kislovodsk, rent included.

  • Budapest $2,562
  • Kislovodsk $1,644

A family of three spends $3,483 per month in Budapest vs $2,272 in Kislovodsk, rent included.

  • Budapest $3,483
  • Kislovodsk $2,272

Budapest costs about 61% more than Kislovodsk, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Budapest sits 21% above the global median, while Kislovodsk is 25% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Budapest
Kislovodsk
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$14.04 Ft 4,592
$11.88 ₽956
18.18%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$60.9 Ft 19.9K
$38.01 ₽3,058
60.30%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$10.37 Ft 3,392
$5.40 ₽434
92.04%
Cappuccino
$3.46 Ft 1,131
$2.74 ₽221
26.28%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.07 Ft 677
$1.15 ₽92.4
80.00%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.77 Ft 579
$0.61 ₽48.92
190.16%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.69 Ft 1,205
$1.84 ₽148
100.54%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.80 Ft 1,244
$2.86 ₽230
32.87%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Budapest
Kislovodsk
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.16 Ft 378
$1.17 ₽94.5
-0.85%
White Bread (500g)
$1.85 Ft 606
$0.79 ₽63.4
134.18%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.40 Ft 786
$1.43 ₽115
67.83%
Eggs
$3.99 Ft 1,304
$1.46 ₽118
173.29%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$11.40 Ft 3,729
$11.61 ₽934
-1.81%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$6.87 Ft 2,248
$5.40 ₽434
27.22%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$14.49 Ft 4,740
$11.25 ₽905
28.80%
Apples (1kg)
$1.88 Ft 614
$1.78 ₽143
5.62%
Banana (1kg)
$2.14 Ft 701
$1.97 ₽159
8.63%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.30 Ft 753
$1.93 ₽155
19.17%
Tomato (1kg)
$4.04 Ft 1,320
$2.66 ₽214
51.88%
Potato (1kg)
$1.02 Ft 334
$0.83 ₽66.6
22.89%
Onion (1kg)
$0.99 Ft 324
$0.59 ₽47.16
67.80%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.58 Ft 516
$1.25 ₽101
26.40%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.70 Ft 227
$0.82 ₽66.3
-14.63%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$8.03 Ft 2,626
$2.99 ₽240
168.56%
Wine (Bottle)
$6.18 Ft 2,022
$6.83 ₽549
-9.52%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.24 Ft 406
$1.06 ₽84.9
16.98%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.06 Ft 674
$1.95 ₽157
5.64%
🚌 Getting Around
Budapest
Kislovodsk
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.59 Ft 519
$0.55 ₽44.21
189.09%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$27.52 Ft 9,002
-
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.43 Ft 1,123
$2.75 ₽221
24.73%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.33 Ft 436
$0.31 ₽25.24
329.03%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$20.45 Ft 6,688
$5.45 ₽438
275.23%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.93 Ft 632
$0.84 ₽67.4
129.76%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$29.1K Ft 9.5M
$52.7K ₽4.2M
-44.71%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$34.7K Ft 11.4M
$38.6K ₽3.1M
-10.00%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Budapest
Kislovodsk
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$175 Ft 57.1K
$116 ₽9,319
50.70%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$23.62 Ft 7,725
$5.69 ₽457
315.11%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$23.60 Ft 7,719
$7.44 ₽598
217.20%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Budapest
Kislovodsk
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$68.8 Ft 22.5K
$33.19 ₽2,670
107.41%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$19.26 Ft 6,301
$27.21 ₽2,189
-29.22%
Cinema Ticket
$10.31 Ft 3,374
$6.19 ₽498
66.56%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Budapest
Kislovodsk
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$535 Ft 175.1K
$305 ₽24.5K
75.77%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$16.8K Ft 5.5M
$7,051 ₽567.2K
138.83%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Budapest
Kislovodsk
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$99.9 Ft 32.7K
$86.4 ₽6,946
15.63%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$43.27 Ft 14.2K
$53.5 ₽4,304
-19.12%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$112 Ft 36.5K
$119 ₽9,543
-5.85%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$119 Ft 38.9K
$99.5 ₽8,003
19.60%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Budapest
Kislovodsk
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$832 Ft 272.1K
$518 ₽41.7K
60.47%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$629 Ft 205.8K
$298 ₽24.0K
110.88%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,586 Ft 518.7K
$885 ₽71.2K
79.18%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,197 Ft 391.4K
$625 ₽50.3K
91.38%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$5,718 Ft 1.9M
$2,022 ₽162.6K
182.84%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$3,947 Ft 1.3M
$1,648 ₽132.6K
139.45%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Budapest
Kislovodsk
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$1,712 Ft 560.0K
-
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
6.45
21.45
-69.93%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Budapest: October 19, 2026

Last update for Kislovodsk: October 17, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Budapest
$629
Kislovodsk
$298 52.6% $331
Groceries & Markets
Budapest
$262
Kislovodsk
$210 19.8% $52
Eating Out
Budapest
$226
Kislovodsk
$166 26.6% $60
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Budapest
$222
Kislovodsk
$129 41.9% $93
Clothing & Footwear
Budapest
$168
Kislovodsk
$161 4.2% $7.1
Sport & Entertainment
Budapest
$89
Kislovodsk
$46 49.1% $44
Getting Around
Budapest
$44
Kislovodsk
$6.5 * 85.2% $37

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $832 in Budapest versus $518 in Kislovodsk. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $61.0 in Budapest versus $38.00 in Kislovodsk. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $262 vs $210 – making Kislovodsk the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇭🇺 Budapest
🇷🇺 Kislovodsk
🕒 Local time
14:11 2:11 PM
16:11 4:11 PM
2 h ahead of Budapest
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
1,686,222 Capital
127,919
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

RUB, USD, EUR to HUF – Hungarian Forint Converter

Hungarian Forint exchange rates as of October 25, 2026: 1 USD = 327 HUF (1,000 HUF = 3.06 USD). 1 EUR = 368 HUF (1,000 HUF = 2.72 EUR).

Russian Ruble exchange rates as of October 25, 2026: 1 USD = 80.44 RUB (100 RUB = 1.24 USD). 1 EUR = 90.43 RUB (100 RUB = 1.11 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Budapest Kislovodsk 1,870 km ≈ 2 h 45 min nonstop flight
From you
  • Budapest
  • Kislovodsk

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.
Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index
Budapest vs Kislovodsk: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Kislovodsk cheaper than Budapest?
Yes – Budapest is pricier by about 61%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.
What income do you need for each city?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,461 per month in Budapest and $1,525 in Kislovodsk. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Which city has lower housing costs?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Kislovodsk, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.
Is eating out cheaper in Budapest or in Kislovodsk?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $61.0 in Budapest and $38.00 in Kislovodsk. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.
How do food prices compare in Budapest and in Kislovodsk?
Groceries cost about 25% more in Budapest, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.
Is $1,500 a realistic budget for living in Budapest or in Kislovodsk?
A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Kislovodsk, where all-in costs run around $1,017, than in Budapest at $1,641. In Kislovodsk it covers expenses comfortably, while in Budapest it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Is Budapest or Kislovodsk more family-friendly?
Families tend to lean toward Kislovodsk – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.
Which city is safer, Budapest or Kislovodsk?
Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.
Which city is the better choice to relocate to?
If budget matters most, go with Kislovodsk. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Budapest makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

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